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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24797059">Under fake stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowcloudwasright/pseuds/Glowcloudwasright'>Glowcloudwasright</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lumberjanes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, after jo's birthday, pure fluff, set after issue 60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:07:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24797059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowcloudwasright/pseuds/Glowcloudwasright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>April has one more surprise for Jo's birthday.They end up surprising each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>April/Jo (Lumberjanes)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Under fake stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The story is based on Alexa Sharpe's variant cover for issue 60 and "The shape of friendship" which I absolutely love.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Where are we going now?” Jo asked while being pulled by her hand by a very excited April.</p><p>“It’s a surprise!” April answered and Jo wondered how many more surprises she could take that day.</p><p>It had been a few hours already after her birthday surprise, or rather all the summer birthday ‘janes surprise, and after getting to watch a play reenactment of her favorite movie and sharing cupcakes with all her friends, Jo couldn’t be happier, even if a little guilty about intentionally trying to miss the event April had worked so hard on.</p><p>Jo made a mental note to apologize about that later. Right now she couldn’t bear to snap April out of her gleeful run around camp, or to let go of her hand.</p><p>They seemed to be going back to the cabin, but it was still fairly early on the night and most people were still enjoying the after party of the play. The play April had planned for weeks and put together in around 5 hours.</p><p>Jo was still trying to understand, after many years of friendship, April’s ability to make beautiful things out of thin air. Mal theorized April was actually a witch and honestly? That would explain a lot. But Jo knew there was more to April than that, she didn’t need magic or tricks to pull things off, her will power alone was enough. She was more than enough.</p><p>“Why are we going back to the cabin?” Jo asked as they halted in front of Roanoke cabin, nothing but the moonlight illuminating their surroundings.</p><p>“That’s why I got Mal and Barney to entertain you for a few hours Jo, you ask too many questions.” Said April with a playful smile. Jo simply rolled her eyes in response.</p><p>Jo had decided a long time ago that it was best to just go along with April’s plans, no matter where they led. Most times it was fun and maybe she owed April a little bit more of trust after doubting her intentions today.</p><p>April went up the wooden stairs and stopped in front of the door, turning around with a mischievous smile but still fairly nervous. This was the final touch to what she hoped was a very special day from her to Jo, so far everything had gone according to plan despite the little mishaps of the day, so she only hoped this last surprise was perfect. Especially since this was a little more personal.</p><p>“Okay, a little context before I show you.” April said, letting out a sigh to relief her nerves.</p><p>Jo rarely saw April nervous like that.</p><p>“I know camp is amazing and with all the magic and mysteries and supernatural stuff we’re actually having a blast…” April made a pause for the little laugh Jo let out remembering their past weeks. “But I also know you’ve been missing home.”</p><p>Jo stepped closer to the door and stood next to April, avoiding her gaze with faint sadness. She did miss home sometimes; her projects, her dads, the long afternoons with April by the pool. She only had mentioned it a couple of times, late at night when both of them couldn’t sleep, but apparently April had payed attention. She always did.</p><p>“I called your dads, which, by the way, was super hard because I had to sneak out of the Raccoon Rodeo to use the phone without Rosie or the other counselors to notice and the Raccoons were really noisy but, whatever-“ April waved off to get back on topic.</p><p>“I asked them for a little favor and as usual, they went above and beyond. Because of time stretching shenanigans they think your birthday isn’t for another couple of weeks but, one can never be too prepared. And I’m one.” April pointed her thumb at herself with her usual bragging confidence, but it wasn’t long until the nerves and a faint blush on her cheeks were back in place.</p><p>Jo’s mind wondered exactly what she had to prepare herself for. Her dads liked big gestures almost as much as April did, so to combine the three made her a little anxious.</p><p>The thought of how cute April looked blushing like that made everything more bearable.   </p><p>“Are you ready?” April asked, taking advantage of the few seconds before the surprise to capture the moment in her head.</p><p>Also because she thought Jo looked beautiful with the flower crown the yetis had spent almost an hour crafting, she was keeping that memory for as long as she could.</p><p>“Ready.” Jo answered, her anxiety now turned into excitement.</p><p>April opened the door slowly, but the faint lighting inside it was now apparent. It was nothing like the usual lights inside the cabin.</p><p>Once the door was fully open and April stood aside to invite Jo in, she understood what it was.</p><p>The ceiling was filled with the glow in the dark stars she had in her bedroom back home, the ones she assured her dads she was too old to have anymore, but somehow never brought herself to take down.</p><p>The walls had fairy lights hanging, dim enough not to overshadow the gleam of the stars and the floor was filled with big pillows and puffs, just inviting to plop down on them.</p><p>Jo couldn’t stop smiling as she looked up at the stars on the ceiling like they were magic and not just painted plastic that would probably leave a permanent mark on the cabin ceiling. She recognized the constellations, stars and distant planets placed with meticulous accuracy and remembered the summer her dads got her those same stars and she spent days mapping the exact position to glue them on the ceiling just right.</p><p>“April, I… This is amazing…” Jo was at a loss for words, so April was more than accomplished.</p><p>“The stars were my main request. Jen helped me put them up as perfectly as possible, so if there’s any complains you know who to talk to…”April half joked. “Your dads sent the fairy lights and the cushions; they said it was the perfect spot for stargazing.” Jo finally turned around to face April, who was still rambling a little.</p><p>“Of course they sent enough pillows and stuff for the rest of the girls but I really wanted to show it to you first and-“ April was suddenly cut off by two lanky arms wrapping around her shoulders and lifting her up the ground.</p><p>Jo was hugging her tightly, her face buried in her hair and giving no sign of letting her go soon. April caught the hint to stop talking and simply hugged back.</p><p>“This is amazing, April… You are amazing. Thank you.” Jo’s words were muffled by being pressed against April’s hair, but she was sure she would choke if she were to stare at April’s big bright eyes as she said those words.</p><p>She finally let April back down, but neither of them let go of the hug. If anything, they were hanging tighter, afraid that the moment would be lost once they let go.</p><p>April rested her head on Jo’s chest, just below her shoulder, as she usually did. Normally, she would curse her small stature, not being able to even stare at Jo without having to turn her head up, but right now that didn’t matter. She was more than happy to rest her head and listen to Jo’s heart racing, her arms wrapped around the taller girl’s waist. The surprise was meant to make Jo feel like home, but right now, standing in the middle of the cabin like this, April was the one who felt the most at home.</p><p>Jo was sure she was supposed to look up and soak up on the sight of the synthetic constellations before her, but right now she couldn’t help but stare at April, specifically the small part of her face that was still visible through her long ginger hair, revealing the curl of a small smile. Her arms were still wrapped around the smaller girl, her best friend in the whole wide world.</p><p>The hug in question maybe lasted a few moments too long to be a friend’s hug, or so both of them thought, but then again, neither of them was willing to let go, even if they didn’t know exactly why.</p><p>The faint laughter of campers outside made them jump slightly, as if they had both been pulled back to reality, and so April was first to let go. Rubbing the back of her neck and coughing to steady her voice, she finally spoke up.</p><p>“So, let’s take our seats, shall we?”</p><p>Jo fidgeted a little too, but managed to smile back.</p><p>“We shall.”</p><p>April plopped down theatrically on the massive cushions, facing up at the stars and laughing as Jo mimicked her, falling just next to her and making a couple of feathers from inside the cushion fly upwards.  </p><p>The conversation quickly turned to memories from back home; the evenings spent on April’s backyard, biking down the neighborhood with friends, studying in Jo’s room under the similar set of stars and movie night afterwards.</p><p>“Remember when the power went out mid movie and you were scared of the giant moths?” Asked Jo, laughing at the memory as April made a shadow of a moth with her hands against the light.</p><p>“Hey, that movie had excellent special effects. The bugs just looked too real.” April defended.</p><p>Now it was Jo’s turn to make a shadow puppet, probably a reindeer or a moose, but not quite defined yet. Her tongue poked out as she tried to move her hands into the desired shape.</p><p>“Here, just move your wrist a little.” April said as she took Jo’s hands on her own to help.</p><p>The blush on Jo’s face was almost instant but she hoped the lights and her melanin were working on her favor to not make it too apparent.</p><p>“There.” April said, moving back her hands almost hesitantly.</p><p>The shadow now really resembled a moose.</p><p>“It looks just like Jeremy.” Jo said.</p><p>Both girls burst into laughter once more as April made her best impression of Jeremy’s bellow, but sounding like a hurt calf.</p><p>Catching their breathes both girls fell back on the cushion they were suddenly sharing, shoulder to shoulder and suddenly static, as if one wrong move would cost them.    </p><p>Jo was the first to let her hand down to her side. She wasn’t sure what she meant with that gesture, but she knew she wanted to feel April’s hand on hers once more, even if accidentally. April caught on the sign, or so she hoped. The fear of misreading Jo’s gesture at that moment was immense; doubts filled her mind, reminding her that if she were to step to close or come off to strong their friendship would never be the same.</p><p>Still, a sudden wave of bravery washed over April, and that was enough for her to let her hand down, as slowly and as naturally as possible, to lay on top of Jo’s, who intertwined their fingers together.</p><p>They laid like that for a little while, both of them sure this was more than a platonic gesture, all questions that swarmed their minds after the hug were confirmed. But the scariest part was that none of them cared. Being like that, holding each other’s hand felt amazing, felt right.</p><p>Jo and April were very different and very similar in many ways; a walking contradiction of a friendship, and often times they would agree upon things having taken different approaches to the same question.</p><p>April was often reckless, headstrong and brave, leading with her chin every single adventure the group set out to, but she wore her heart on her sleeve and put other’s first always; so naturally she thought of protecting her friendship with Jo. No matter what feelings she might have, no matter the butterflies she would get in her stomach whenever she heard Jo’s voice or how much worse they would get when she made Jo smile. Her priority was to protect the beautiful friendship they had built together, not jeopardize it in any way for the sake of feelings she didn’t even fully understand.</p><p>But still, here she was, holding her hand like couples did in her favorite movies and books, holding tight like they were the only people in the planet, just them and the stars. And it felt right, like her heart was about to burst with all the feelings she had kept quiet for so long.</p><p>Jo, on the other hand, was calculating, cold and cunning; she was the brains of the gang along with Molly and she took great pride on that, on maintaining her skepticism through all things and to solve every puzzle in front of her with logic. Of course she knew she had romantic feelings towards April, but she had also spent countless hours calculating the risk of acting on those feelings. The risk of April rejecting her and ruining their friendship forever was one she wasn’t willing to take, so she just waited for her feelings to die out. Every time April got that gleam in her eyes or leaned her head on Jo’s shoulder she would do her best to quiet down those thoughts.   </p><p>It was safe to say that hadn’t work, because here she was, practically aching for her friend to hold her hand the way couples do and nearly dying of the rush of blood and happiness she got to her head right then. And against all logic and everything she had planned, it felt amazing; and she was willing to put at risk everything to feel like that for as long as she could.</p><p>None of them said a word about it. Their silence was broken by more light conversation turned to laughter and inside jokes.</p><p>They had the remnant days of summer on grounds that where bound to no laws of time as they knew it. They wouldn’t say a word about it today, there was still time. But they would talk about it.</p><p>Right now, they enjoyed each other’s company until it was time to go back to their friends and show them the new décor of their cabin. No one mentioned how they were walking hand in hand, some people even expected it, and Jo and April thought nothing of it.</p><p>They would talk about it, but not today.</p>
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